The Emporia weekly news. [volume] (Emporia, Kan.) 1881-1889, 1887-12-08

advantages and resources developed by
century's national growth. et
when an attempt is made to justify Z
scheme which permits tax to be laio
upon every consumer in the land fol
the benefit of our manufacturers
quite beyond reasonable demand fol
governmental regard, it suits the
purposes of advocacy to call our manu-
features infant industries, still needing
the highest and greatest degree of ia
Yor and fostering care that can be
wrung from federal legislation. 1t Is
also said that the increase in the price
of domestic manufactures resulting
from the present tariff is necessary In
order that higher wages may
be paid to our workingmen employed
in manufactures than are paid foI
what is called the paupeI labor or Eu-
rope. All will acknowledge the force
of an argument which involves the
welfare and liberal compensation OF
our labor, which is honorable in the
eyes of every American citizen, and as
it lies at the foundation of our devel-
opment and progress, 1t is entitled
without affectation or hypocrisy, to the
utmost regard. The standard of OuI
laborers' lives should not be measured
by that of any other country less IA
vored, and they are entitled to their
full share of all our advantages.
BY the last census it is made
to-. appear that of the II ,392, O99 OF
our populotion engaged in all kinds OF
industries, 1870, 493 are employed in
agriculture, 4,074, 238 in professional
and personal service e, 934 ,S76 of whom
are domestic servants and laborers)
while l ,810,2O6 are employed in trade
and transportation, and 1857 ,112 are
classed as employed in manufacturing
and mining. For present purposes.
however, the last number given should
be greatly reduced. Without attempt
ing to enumerate all, it will be con-
ceded that there should be deducted
from those which it includes 375, las
carpenters and jOiners, 2S5 ,401 millin-
ers, dressmakers and seamstresseS.
172, 726 blacksmiths, 1873, 756 tailors and
tailoresses, 102, 473 masons, 76, pa
butchers, Al 1903 bakers, %, 0S3 plaster
ers, and 1891 engaged in manufacture
ing agricultural implements, amount
ing in the aggregate to 1919 ,4O3, leav-
ing 2,623, 0SS persons employed in such
manufacturing industries as are
claimed to be benefited by high
tariff.
These appeals are made to save their
employment and maintain their wages
by resisting a change. There should
be no disposition to answer such sug-
gestions by the allegation that they are
in a minority among those who labor
and therefore, should forgo an adyant-
age in the interest of low prices for the
majority Their compensation as 1T
NAV be affected by the operation of
tariff laws should at all times be scru-
pulously kept in view, and yet. with
slight reflection they Will not overlook
the fact that they are consumers with
the rest. They have their own wants
and those of their families to supply
from their earning, and that the prices
of the necessaries of life as well as the
amount of their wages will regulate
the measure of their welfare and COM
fort. But the reduction of taxation
demanded should be so measured as
not to necessitate or justify either the
loss of employment by the workingmen
nor the lessening of his wages, and the
profits still remaining to the
manufacturer after a neces-
sary readjustment should furnish
no excuse for the sacrifice of
the interests of his employees, either in
their opportunity to work or in the
diminution of their compensation. Nor
can the worker in manufactures fail
to understand that while high tariff
is claimed to be necessary to allow the
remunerative wages, it certainly results
in a very large increase in the price of
nearly all sorts of manufactures which,
in almost countless forms he needs for
the use of himself and his family. He
receives at the desk of his employer
his wages, and perhaps before he
reaches his home is obliged in pur-
chase for family use of an article
which embraces his own labor, to return
in payment the increase IN price
.aI, IA foriF V0nrpnifG tho hard
earned compensation of many days of
toll.
The farmer and the agriculturist
who manufacture nothing, but who
paw the increased price which the tariff
imposes upon every agricultural i'm
plement, upon all he wears and upon
all he used and owns, except the IN
crease of his fiocks and
herds and such things as
in his husbandTy produces from the
soil, is invited to aid in maintaining
the present situation, and he is told
that high duty on imported wool Is
necessary for the benefit of those who
have sheep to shear, in order that the
price of their wool may be Increased.
They of course are not reminded that
the farmer who has no sheep is by the
scheme obliged in his purchases of
clothing and wooden goods to pay a
tribute to his fellow farmer as well as
to the manufacturer and merchant;
nor is any mention made of the fact
that the sheep owners themselves and
their households must wear clothing
and use other articles manufactured
from the wool they sell at tariff prices
and thus as consumers must return
their share of this increased price tC
the tradesman. l think it may be
60, ,lrr fhof a l0r0n TAFnnnrfI0U
of the sheep owned, by farmers
throughout the country, are found IN
small flocks numbering from twenty.
five to fifty. The duty on the grade o1
imported wool which these sheer
Weld is ten cents for eacl
pound if of the value of thirty cents OF
less and twelve cents if of the value Of
more than thirty cents. If the liberia
estimate of six pounds be allowed fol
each fleece, the duty thereon would b.
sixty or seventy cents, and this may b'
taken as the utmost enhancement of it,
price to the farmer by reason of thi!
duty. Eighteen dollars would thus rep
resent the increased prize of the WOO
| from twenty-five sheep, and thirty-sn
dollars is that from the wool of fit!
sheep, and at present values this addi
ton would amount to abou
one third of its price. If, upon its sale
| the farmer receives this or less tariff
profit the wool leaves his hands charged
with precisely that sum which in all it
| changes will adhere to it until it reach
es the consumer when manufacture
into cloth and other goods and materia
for use; its cost is not only increased t.
the extent of the farmers tariff profit
but further sum has been added TO
| the benefit of the manufacturer unde
the operation of other tariff laws
In the meantime the da.
/ arrives when the farmer finds it neces
sary to purchase wooden goods and ma
| terial to clothe himself and family TO
the winter. When he faces the trades
man for that purpose, he discovers tina
he is obliged not only to return in tn
way of increased prices his tariff prof
on the wool he sold, and which the
perhaps lies before him il manufaC
tured form, but that he must add
considerable sum thereto to meet
further increase in cost caused by
tariff duty on the manufacture. Thu
in the end he is aroused to the faG
that he has paid upon moderate pu
chase, as a result of the tariff schem
l which, when he sold his wool, SCENE